Leicester supporters in the Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley on May 15, 2021. – Matt Childs / AP / SIPA
With a few days of further relaxation of anti-Covid rules in England, nearly 22,000 spectators attended the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Leicester on Saturday, giving Wembley an atmosphere that has been lacking all season. .
In the temple and the homeland of football, it was a powerful strike in the skylight of Youri Tielemans who offered his first FA Cup to the Foxes, propelling 6,000 Midlands fans to the angels, in front of as many disappointed Blues fans. The drama of the final took another step forward when the 89th-minute equalizer goal was canceled by VAR, with both halves of the stadium rocking from joy to despair, or vice versa.
The end of the afternoon had however started with a scene much less glorious, when part of the public whistled the players and the referees who knelt on the ground in a gesture symbolizing the fight against racism, before the match, even if another part of the audience was applauding. Started at the end of last season, in the wake of the American Black Lives Matter movement, this gesture had been integrated throughout the season into the pre-match protocol. In recent weeks, its scope had been challenged, with some players, such as Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace, having already decided not to do so again.
This brief moment of embarrassment did not prevent us from appreciating the demonstrations which, before, during and after the match, gave new life to a show which was singularly lacking, due to the general closed session imposed by the pandemic. In a country which has seen its contamination figures and Covid victims drop sharply in recent weeks, to the rhythm of a vigorous vaccination campaign, the return to normal has already begun.
During the semi-final between Leicester and Southampton (1-0), 4,000 spectators were admitted as part of a test event, then 8,000 for the League Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham, still at Wembley. During the last two days of the Premier League, in the middle of next week and Sunday, May 23, 10,000 spectators will be allowed, but only those from home clubs.
And for the Euro which starts on June 11, Wembley will welcome 22,500 spectators for the group matches of England. But the English federation and UEFA hope to be able to further increase the tonnage for the finals, especially for the two halves and the final which will also take place at Wembley.